This invention relates to method and apparatus for collecting seminal fluids and more particularly relates to an artificial vagina for collecting semen from animals.
The most common method of collecting semen in animals is by the use of an artificial vagina. This usually consists of a stiff rubber tube having an interior rubber liner which leads to a rubber cone that is connected to a test tube for collecting the semen. The length of the vagina varies but should be long enough so that the penis penetrates completely and ejaculation takes place directly into the cone and test tube. Prior to collection, the vagina is filled with warm water and lubricated internally with an innocuous lubricant such as paraffin or vaseline. The internal temperature of the vagina should be about 45.degree. C. to cover any heat loss prior to actual collection.
It is the usual practice to tease the animal prior to actual collection, and this consists of exciting the animal by allowing him to see and approach the teaser animal and even mounting but without ejaculation taking place. During the teasing, accessory fluid usually dribbles from the prepuce and the animal shows signs of erection. This separation is of considerable importance and unless it is carried out the collection is of poor quality.
The actual technique of collection is also important. It is advisable to apply the artificial vagina to the penis only when the animal is actually probing for it, and obviously prepared for service. It should not be applied as the animal is just mounting or in the process of dismounting, since quite apart from the unsatisfactory psychological effect on the animal, the semen quality and the volume of the ejaculate are inferior.
Great care must be exercised regarding the angle at which the vagina is held and collection taken. Some animals thrust violently against the hindquarters of the teaser, resulting in sharp bending of the penis and the resulting infliction of pain, which if repeated often enough, will inhibit the animal from further service.
The normal pattern of behavior of the animal is to approach the hindquarters of the teaser and nuzzle the base of the tail for a few seconds. The back is then depressed and there is a slight pumping action accompanied by erection and dribbling of accessory fluid. The animal then mounts, dropping his forelegs in front of the external iliacs of the teaser, and the penis begins to probe for the vagina.
At this point, the operator standing to the right of the animal clasps the sheath with his left hand, deflects the penis to one side, and at the same time holds the artificial vagina in his right hand so that entry of the penis takes place normally. The animal will thrust vigorously sometimes leaping off the ground in the process.
The prior art is replete with artificial vaginas that can be used as above described, for example, and as depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,441,868; 3,421,504; 3,631,853; 3,910,262; and 4,059,100. While these and other artificial vaginas have proved to be satisfactory for the collection of semen in animals, they suffer from the disadvantage of being too rigid during collection and lack the elasticity provided by the vagina of a living teaser during the actual thrust. Such rigidity and lack of elasticity results in a poor quality of collection as compared to the collection produced by a living vagina or an aritifical vagina approaching the characteristics of a living vagina.
These disadvantages of the prior art, and especially the aforementioned U.S. patents, are overcome with the present invention, and commercially acceptable embodiments of an artificial vagina and the like are herein provided which are not only fully capable of collecting seminal materials under most operating conditions but which are also fully capable of other tasks completely beyond the capabilities of the devices of the prior art. More particularly, however, the embodiments of the present invention are capable of controlled operation with a much hiher efficiency.